48 CARNIVOROUg^MAMMALS. __ _ 



LESSON VI. 



FAMILY OP CARNIVORA. Zoological char acters. Peculiarities of 



organization. Division into three tribes. 



TRIBE OF PLANTIGRADA. Zoological characters. Organization 

 and Habits of Bears, (Brown Bear, White Bear, Black 

 Bear.} Badgers. Use of their hair. 



TRIBE OP DIGITIGRADAS. Zoological characters. Group of Ver- 



miform Digitigradas.Hi*toty of the Pole-cat,( common Pole- 



cat, Ferret, Weasel, Ermine.-) The Martens, (common Mai- 



ten, the Beech Marten, Sable.} The Otters, (common Otter, 



Sea Otters-Genus of Dogs-History and Habits of some 



races, ( Wolws, Foxes.)-Genm of Civets (Civet, Common 



Wild-cat, Mangomte of Egypt.) -Genus of Hyenas.- Genus 4 



of Cats. Habits, (Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Couguar,Lynx, Lat) 



TRIBE OP AMPHIBIA. Zoological characters. Habits, (beal, the 



Morse.) 



CONTINUATION OP THE ORDER CARNARIA. 

 FAMILY OF CARNIVORA. 



1 In its most general acceptation, the word Carnivorous belongs 

 to all animals that feed upon flesh, but naturalists give to this 

 word, a more limited sigirfncation, and only apply it to this family 

 of mammalia of the order Carnaria, which includes Bats, Hyenas, 

 Martens, Dogs, &c., and which is easily distinguished by the ex- 

 istence of teeth for tearing and cutting flesh. 



2 In these animals, which generally possess great strength, a 

 laws are stout, and each one is armed with two long, stout, se] 

 rated canine teeth, and between these are placed six incisors. 

 Sometimes the molar teeth are all trenchant ; sometimes they a 

 mingled, some having blunt tubercles, but they never have com. 

 cal points as in the insectivora. (Plate 2, fig. 12.) One of the 

 great molars is ordinarily much larger and more penchant than 

 the others, and bears the name of carnivorous tooth, (Mate *,pg. 

 12, ca.) behind it are one or two, almost flat, which are call< 

 Ubtrculo**, (Hate 2, Jig. 12, .) and between it and the cu ^ 



f a variable number of //? molars. The form and disposition of 

 these teeth are in relation to the more or less carnivorous Jiabits 

 i. How i the term Carnivorous applied? By what means can we re- 



whason of the canine teeth in the Carnivora ? What is 

 the number of their incisor teeth ? What is the character of their n 



''mat is the carnivorous tooth? What is meant by tuberculous tooth? 

 What is the form and disposition of these teeth? Can we judge ot 

 nature of the diet of a carnivorous animal by the teeth ! 



